Concert Offerings

Uniquely themed concerts with audience appeal. Choose Paul for any of these exciting live concerts from classics to great Americana that your audiences will want to hear.

The Great American Piano Revisited

a concert based on Paul’s CD
Paul’s new concert offering for 2013 base on his CD containing world premieres by Gershwin and others. A sweeping panorama of American music- some pieces never before heard.

The concert includes performances of unpublished Gershwin including his now earliest known work – an exhuberant rag, and his last known work, a nocturne for Lily Pons. Also rarely played rags by Eubie Blake and Scott Joplin, Billy Joel’s eloquent “New York State of Mind”, Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, a new arrangement of Amazing Grace written for Paul by the great American composer John Thomas, a rousing “Variations on Battle Hymn of the Republic”, Bisaccia’s own arrangement of the march “Semper Fidelis” by John Phillip Sousa, Gottschalk’s “Tournament Galop” and (it doesn’t get more “up to the minute” American than this) a side-splitting arrangement of the theme from “The Simpsons”. Paul’s talent for making the music come alive with stories and anecdotes will make you want to wave the flag.George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

Although Gershwin’s music is well known, here is an evening of seldom played original solo piano arrangements that Gershwin himself made. Included will be a little history, more humor and many anecdotes that make the man who made the music come alive for an evening. An intimate evening such as this is most appropriate because this is how Gershwin himself performed his pieces for friends. Bisaccia is the first person in history to record all the solo piano music of Gershwin. The program will include lots of standards and favorites such as Swanee, ‘S Wonderful and I Got Rhythm as well as the seldom played original solo piano version of Rhapsody in Blue that Mr. Bisaccia played on his PBS special “Gershwin by Bisaccia”. “Consummate musicianship.” Michael Feinstein See clips of Bisaccia’s PBS Gershwin TV show on Youtube.

Masterworks!

Another concert program available for 2012-2013 based on Paul’s just released CD. Bach-Busoni Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Chopin Scherzo in B minor, Two Polonaises- the famous “Heroic” in A-flat major and the great Polonaise in F-sharp minor. Also a Chopin Nocturne and Waltz, Mendelssohn Rondo Capriccioso, Liszt Nocturne and Soirees de Wien.

Appassionata

a concert based on Paul Bisaccia’s CD
Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata is one of the landmarks of western music. The great novelist Ann Rice describes it thus: ” eloquent, celebratory and utterly human…How can human hands make this enchantment, how can they pound out of these ivory keys this deluge, this thrashing, thundering beauty?”

This concert will be a celebration of great masterpieces including the Chopin Scherzo no. 2, and his beloved “L’Adieu” Waltz as well as Debussy’s beautiful “Arabesque”, David Glass’s haunting music from “The Hours” and performances of unpublished Gershwin treasures never before heard. Also works by Rachmaninoff, and Prokofieff. Check out Paul’s performance of these pieces on youtube.

Stars and Stripes Forever! The Great American Piano

Concert based on Bisaccia’s 2nd PBS television special “The Great American Piano”. Original Gershwin improvisations on “Someone to Watch Over Me”, old fashioned novelty numbers like “Dizzy Fingers”, “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and “Take Five”, Gottschalk’s “Union” and “Banjo” plus Scott Joplin, Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns”, Billy Joel, and Frederic Rzewski’s “Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues”. Concludes with a heart-stopping arrangement of John Phillip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever. “Imaginative, fun, well played and totally satisfying.” Michael Feinstein. See clips of Bisaccia’s PBS shows on youtube

Chopin

Bisaccia will play a program that includes Ballade in g-minor, Fantasie-Impromptu, Waltzes, Preludes, Nocturne in E-flat, the “Military” Polonaise, “Revolutionary” Etude and of course the famous “Heroic” Polonaise. An unforgettable evening of Chopin in the grand manner. “Power, poignancy, authority and aplomb.” Worcester Telegram Gazette

with David Giardina, vocalist
Mix a young, award winning New York City television-movie actor/director/crooner that brings you back to the music of the 20’s and 30’s, with a dynamic pianist that the American Record Guide says “for Gershwin interpretations wins hands down”. Shake well and – presto!, an unforgettable concert of song hits, and nostalgia.

David Giardina is an exciting performer who has done everything from “As the World Turns” to network television specials. He is also a film producer and author. Paul Bisaccia is known as “America’s Gershwin Pianist” Together their unique chemistry on stage makes for a special concert you won’t want to miss.

Of course there will be tons of music from the Gershwin Songbook with hits like “I Got Rhythm”, ‘S Wonderful” and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me”. Paul will perform some of his trademark solos including Rhapsody in Blue. Also included will be solos from music by Fats Waller and everybody’s favorite “In the Mood.” David will croon a great arrangement of “Melancholy Baby”. There will be lots of moonlight with “Moonlight in Vermont” “Dancing in the Moonlight” and “Clair de Lune”. When is the last time you heard a great crooner in person? A concert guaranteed to send you out singing.

I Love a Piano

A concert with something for everyone. Music that represents the old fashioned magic of the piano from the 1800’s to the 1970’s. Many of the composers included are synonymous with the word piano including such classic composers as Chopin, Debussy, Satie and Paderewski, as well as popular composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Scott Joplin and Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line.) From Paul’s student days entertaining patrons at the Hilton and Sheraton Hotels include In the Mood, Over the Rainbow, Misty, and What I Did for Love. Paul includes his trademark stories that make the men who made the music come alive for an evening.

Ragtime Lullabies

A different type of concert guaranteed to please. Ragtime by Scott Joplin, George Gershwin, Claude Debussy and Billy Joel. It includes newly discovered Gershwin Preludes, the newly restored piano version of Gershwin’s Lullaby plus favorites such as Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer, Debussy’s Golliwog’s Cakewalk, and Billy Joel’s Root Beer Rag. Also included is Spaghetti Rag, Irving Berlin’s Puttin’ on the Ritz, a haunting lullaby version of Memory from Cats and more.

Moonlight Sonata – The Romantic Piano

Based on Bisaccia’s CD, a concert in the grand romantic tradition including Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, and Fur Elise, Chopin Etudes including the “Harp” and “Revolutionary” Etudes, Liszt Liebestraum, Un Sospiro, Rachmaninoff Etude-Tableaux and Preludes (includes the famous C#-minor) Fire Dance, Manuel de Falla, Gershwin’s The Man I Love.

Blue Danube: Waltzes Rare and Familiar

No one has seriously proposed as the test of a composer’s true greatness his ability to compose a listenable waltz. After this concert you may have second thoughts! Glittering waltzes by Chopin including the “Minute Waltz” (Schumann says the dancers of these Waltzes should be at least countesses!), waltzes of Liszt including the demonic Mephisto Waltz and seldom heard Valse Oubliee (forgotten Waltzes that really were forgotten), the intoxicating Waltz from Gounod’s Faust and sophisticated waltzes by Debussy, Ravel and Gershwin. This is a concert of surprising variety and ingenuity with lots of interesting anecdotes about the music and the men that created it. Of course the Waltz King, Johann Strauss, will be represented by the seldom-performed Schulz-Evler arrangement of the most famous waltz of all – The Blue Danube. All based on Bisaccia’s acclaimed CD “Waltzes Rare and Familiar.” “Earnest vivacity and sparkling virtuosity” Springfield Union News

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition

This great masterpiece in its complete original solo piano version. “Full-fisted white hot almost metallic performance” Worcester Telegram Gazette

Paul’s New Book!

Autographed copies now available at Amazon.com
or download as an
ebook.
What’s the life of a concert pianist really like? With wit, gentle humor, and abundant optimism Paul Bisaccia writes about his life making music and ...more...

Paul’s New DVD!

Filmed at Steinway Hall in New York City and venues throughout New England, here’s two hours of great piano performances from Paul Bisaccia’s PBS television shows. The music includes Chopin, Liszt, Prokofieff, Rachmaninoff and “Great American Piano” composers Gershwin, Joplin, Gottschalk, Eubie Blake and Sousa. Mr. Bisaccia gives fascinating commentary and the world premiere of a major piano work by 19th century composer Dudley Buck. He also plays the music of Chopin on a rare 1896 Rosewood Steinway and shares remembrances of Horowitz and Rubinstein.